Small business retail and promotional gimmicks have gone hand-in-hand since the dawn of...small business.

Cases in point: Cal Worthington shipped in live tigers, bulls, grizzlies and elephants to promote his car dealership. Bikini Coffee Company dressed its baristas in bathing suites, and Serendipity 3 in New York City put a $25,000 chocolate ice cream sundae on the menu.

Now comes word that an ice cream shop in London is serving a breast-milk ice cream and promoting it as both organic, and free-range.

And yes, it does contain real breast milk, provided by 15 women who answered an online ad on the mothers' forum Mumsnet. The recipe blends breast milk with Madagascan vanilla pods and lemon zest, Each serving sells for around US$23.

The first batch sold out within days of being introduced.

The first 50 servings were reportedly supplied by Victoria Hiley, who received £15 (around 18 euros) for every 10 ounces (about 280 mL) of breast milk. She pumped onsite after going through a health check.

"What could be more natural than fresh, free-range mother's milk in an ice cream? And for me it's a recession beater too -- what's the harm in using my assets for a bit of extra cash," Hiley said in a statement.

The ice cream shop has a logo containing a skull and "cross spoons", and "Lick your addiction," as its tagline. Breast Milk ice cream isn't the first provocative flavor coming from the Icecreamists. The Sex Bomb, made with natural stimulants like gingko and the the Molotoffee Cocktail, with dulce de leche ice cream has been on the menu for some time.